New Podcast: Icons, Islam, and John of Damascus with David and Jennifter McNutt

We are living in a day when the Christian church faces challenges both inward and outward. Outwardly, we see Islam advancing as a world religion. Inwardly, we are experiencing a divisive period in our church regarding doctrine of orthodoxy like the Trinity. In this episode, Matthew Barrett and David and Jennifer McNutt, the authors of the book Know the Theologians, introduce the eastern theologian John of Damascus who is sometimes called the last of the church fathers. He faced unique challenges from both outside and inside the church. Outwardly, the church in 8^th century was facing the advance of Islam and its conquest of Constantinople. Inwardly, the church was divided on the issue of icons in worship, asking tough questions like, Is it acceptable to use icons since Christ has become incarnate? Through it all, John of Damascus had one desire: to remain faithful in his context. So he wrote one of the most enduring books of theology: The Fount of Wisdom. Matthew Barrett and David and Jennifer McNutt meet to ask why John of Damascus is still so relevant to the church today.

David McNutt is a senior acquisitions editor at Zondervan Academic, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, where he acquires and edits books in theology, philosophy, and related fields and oversees several series, including the New Studies in Dogmatics series, the Los Angeles Theology Conference series, and the Scottish Dogmatics Conference series.

Jennifer Powell McNutt is the Franklin S. Dyrness Associate Professor in Biblical and Theological Studies at Wheaton College, a Fellow in the Royal Historical Society, and a Parish Associate at First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn. David and Jennifer McNutt co-authored the book series Know the Theologians. They serve the church and the academy through McNuttshell Ministries, their teaching, preaching, and writing ministry.